Product Description This family size, commercial quality Belgian waffle maker is in a class by itself. In just 90-120 seconds you can bake 4 delicious deep pocket, restaurant-thick Belgian waffles. The breakthrough QuadPlus??? baking system lets you independently adjust baking time and temperature for truly customized waffles...fast bake for a crispy exterior and soft, oven fresh interior or slow bake for a crunchy, uniform texture. The specially engineered waffle plate design guarantees optimal batter distribution and even baking so there's no need to flip. The Belgian WafflePro??? offers a high quality, non-stick griddle surface, a "waffle ready" beeper, ultra-quick temperature recovery for continuous baking, an easy-clean overflow channel and a built-in cord storage compartment. Convenient features such as the automatic countdown timer, "Sleep-Mode" and fast heat-up, quick recovery allow you to effortlessly bake and then "take a break" so you can sample your taste sensations! Recipes are included. One-year limited warranty.
Customer Reviews:
The Best of the Many Wafflers I've UsedFebruary 23, 2008 10 out of 10 found this review helpful
I've acquired quite a collection of new and used waffle makers in my quest to find a unit that meets my very demanding needs, and this is the first unit that has ever completely satisfied me. Modern machines offer the convenience of timed baking, superior non-stick grids (that don't rust lke old machines) and warning buzzers, but generally at the expense of lower wattage. At 1750 watts, this is the most powerful unit in my collection. It also has the best non-stick grids, which never require cooking oil, not even the first time. This unit even beat the KitchenAid KPWB100NP Pro Line Waffle Baker, which disappointed me. The Wafflepro M850 is the most versatile unit I've ever used.
The reason I say that my needs are demanding is that I try and produce healthy waffles, using whole grain batters, low fat or even fat-free batters, sugar-free batters, etc. Sugar aids in browning, and oil aids in crisping. Most wafflers have trouble browning and crisping batters that are lower in or lacking these types of ingredients. Heavy batters such as whole wheat often come out doughy as well, in lower wattage units. I've cooked whole wheat, oat bran, traditional buttermilk, fat free, sugar free, chocolate chip and other batters in this unit and am able to produce not only waffles with crisp exteriors and soft interiors (as advertised) but everything in between. You can produce waffles with textures ranging from damp sponges to bricks with a variety of batters in this waffler. At the uniform setting and mid-range temperature you can produce them with the texture of an ice cream cone, without being hard or burnt, which is kind of neat.
It's very fast, at the settings I normally use it takes 2 minutes to produce an 8 1/2 inch square waffle, and 90 second if I'm in the mood for a less crisp waffle. It actually ends up being faster than the comparably priced KitchenAid model that cooks two at once since that unit is slower to heat and cook. Unlike the KitchenAid, this one has both temperature and time adjustments, whereas the KitchenAid only has variable timing. The KitchenAid will produce a taller waffle however (at 1 1/4 inch) due to it's flip nature, whereas this one produces waffles that are 7/8 inches tall, which is taller than standard waffles but not as tall as most flip-style belgian units. I use "tall" instead of thick and thin, as I reserve those terms for the thickness of the waffle walls. This unit produces thinner waffle walls due to its slightly more squared grid pattern, which allows for more texture versatility. I like the shape of the grid pattern very much, but others may prefer the thicker waffle walls of most other belgian waffle makers. And if you want waffles that are taller than 7/8 inches thick you'll need a flip-style unit.
I also have a Chef's Choice WafflePro M840 machine, the Five of Hearts style, for use when I want something with a smaller grid pattern. It's a nice unit, and powerful in its class at 1100 watts, although I find the extra wattage of the M850 helpful for my needs. The M840 series also lacks the LED timer of this unit, but that's more of a handy convenience than a necessity. The M840 series is a great unit for the casual waffler (the M840B is the belgian style unit which I haven't tried but appears comparable to the M840 heart style unit) and produces nicely textured waffles for most traditional batters. But if you're a hardcore waffle lover that's counting calories to boot, the M850 is worth the (much) higher price to get the added texture capability.
For me at least, the search for the perfect waffle iron/baker/maker has ended.
Great waffle iron!November 11, 2007 8 out of 8 found this review helpful
This is the best waffle iron out there! We did our research which included reading all sorts of opinions (Amazon, Cooks Illustrated, epinions, consumersearch...) and manufacturer's specifications. We tried several based on the positive evaluations including `high end' brands, but returned them because we found them all to be poorly made and/or to make terrible waffles. Most brands are clearly trying to hit a price point which forces them to skimp on quality (poor non-stick surfaces, bad construction or heat unevenly).
Although we only wanted a waffle iron for our family to be used once every couple weeks, we wanted a quality appliance which would give us evenly cooked waffles and last a good many years.
We finally settled on the Chef's Choice M850 model from Edgecraft and are very happy with it. While the price is toward the top end of the range for waffle irons, based on our experience you get what you pay for - in this case, a very well made waffle iron and great waffles.
We had the best results with the brownness control set at 2 .
Positive points:
- Excellent solid construction - Excellent non-stick surface - Very easy to clean - Flexible controls: time, crispness and brownness - Digital count-down timer starts automatically - Fast heat-up and fast cooking - Even cooking and browning across the whole surface - Constructed for relatively thin waffles (perfect in my opinion since we are talking about waffles here and not thick pancakes) - MADE IN USA!
Constructive Criticism:
- There is a shrill beep tone which tells you when it gets plugged in, when it's ready to bake and when your waffles are done. I am annoyed by all the beeping in the kitchen these days. To be fair, most waffle irons have beep tones now. (I found a way to eliminate it)
works as intendedOctober 9, 2007 Produces perfect waffles every time. Because it makes very thin waffles, you get evenly cooked ready-to-eat treats very quickly, surprisingly quickly compared to other irons which make traditional thickness waffles. Our family enjoys both and likes this waffle iron. Would buy again.
FYI, first one came dead-on-arrival. Amazon exchanged without issue.
Works Fine For MeFebruary 21, 2007 6 out of 6 found this review helpful
I used a recipe out of the back of the instruction book and only the first waffle came out too crispy. So, I used the temperature dial and turned the heat down. The next waffle came out perfect.
Now, I leave the settings where they are and all the waffles I cook come out soft in the middle with the perfect crunch on the outside. The 2-minute cook time is FAST.
I don't try to store hot food in warming drawers or ovens; personally I prefer to eat my food freshly cooked. No matter how it's cooked or stored, if you store hot food the quality is going down quickly.
The instruction booklet says to use 1 cup of batter, I found that to be too little so I use a bit more and have no problems. Overflow is not an issue since there is a handy ridge that collects it. As soon as the batter dries in there it flakes right off. Also there is not really a chance of getting batter on the controls.
Although it is not submersible, this wafflemaker is still easy to clean. After your last batch of waffles, leave it on and put in several tablespoons of water. Close the lid, let it run for a single 2-minute cycle, and unplug the thing. When it cools if there is anything left it will wipe off easily with a paper towel.
This thing cooks big waffles. I cook 3 waffles and it is more than my family of 4 can eat. Personally I eat 1 full waffle to myself, everyone else seems to like just a couple of the 1/4 sections.
PROS - Cooks waffles well, with a wide variety of settings for individual taste - Easy to clean - Good instructions - Cooks large waffles - Cooks them FAST; I wouldn't want it much faster than 2 minutes. - Power cord stores underneath, wrapped up
CONS - Costs a lot - Power cord is a little short - Not submersible in water for cleaning
Busy B&B Gives Thumbs Down!February 3, 2007 3 out of 4 found this review helpful
After using a Villa Ware 4-square for the past seven years (since I opened my B&B) in conjunction with an ancient Vitantonio 2-square (when I have a "full house" and need several waffles fresh and ready at the same time), the old Villa Ware finally bit the dust. Note: The "ancient" Vitantonio is still going strong!! Obviously, waffle makers in my kitchen get a LOT of action, so I set out to find the "perfect" one. I did all my research -- I read all the reviews; I consulted Consumer Reports; I talked with fellow B&B owners. I decided on the Chef's Choice with the $180 price tag -- not the MOST expensive waffler, but close. (I think the Kitchen Aid Pro takes the honors in that department.) I have been trying it out for the past week and have yet to be satisfied with the results. The "thin" part of the waffle (not the "ridge," in other words) is totally flat -- like tortilla-flat -- and, therefore, becomes extremely crunchy. I have a warming drawer to hold my breakfast items until my guests arrive at the table, and these waffles become downright hard. I don't know about you, but I want my waffles to have a crispy (not rock-hard) exterior and a soft (mmm-good) interior -- which is the way the description of this waffle iron reads. Not so, thank you. I've tried a number of my guests' favorite recipes (Maple Pecan Waffles, Honey-Yogurt Waffles, Yeast Waffles, plain waffles, etc.)and they've all turned out the same -- crispy critters! If this waffler had cost $80 instead of $180, I might be tempted to just continue experimenting with it and try to get used to the texture. However, that's not the case. And, even in my semi-professional kitchen/world, that's a lot of money to spend on a waffle iron that doesn't make me happy! There are also issues with the amount of batter to use, run-over and batter not reaching the outer corners of the grids. The only way I'm giving this item two stars is that it IS fast and it IS totally non-stick. With all these things considered, I'm going back to the Villa Ware (I just wish Vitantonio was still in business!!) -- or I MIGHT try the Cuisinart; I'll let you know!!
